martes, 15 de enero de 2013

AGMEN - ENTREVISTA

Good night to you?, Thank you very much for agreeing to answer these questions.

Good night to you and to all metal fans!

1. Could you give a brief presentation of the group for people who have not known?

Agmen was found in summer 1997. After half year we had recorded the first album named ”Tartarus” with Michal (ex. Maniac butcher) and C.O.F.F.E. After recording C.O.F.F.E. left the band. The second album was recorded only with me (Tom -vocals guitars, bass) and Michal (drums). The name of second album is “Damnation” and it was released by Breath of night records in 1999. The third album called “Eternal” was recorded in the summer of 2000 and was released in the 2006. The album was recorded in the line-up: Tom (vocals, guitars), Michal (drums), Mormo (bass) and Tom S. (guitar). Fourth album “Dethroned” was recorded with Tom (guitars, bass, vocals) and Michal (drums) in 2004. The album was released by Ravenheart production. And our last album we recorded in 2010 in line-up: Tom (me-guitars, bass, backing vocals), Michal (drums) and Stormmaster (vocal). The album is called “Call of blood.”

2. Could you tell us a little as has been the process of composing this work? What issues have motivated you when composing?

All ideas of all songs on all albums are composed by me and with Michal we make the final form of songs. In practice it means, that I bring the idea in the jam room and with Michal we compose the song to final form. Arangements, all solos etc. we make in our recording studio according to our actual mood.
I’m listening to all kind of metal music. I love bands like Iron Maiden as well as Morbid Angel or Dissection. In black metal my favorite are Dissection, Necrophobic, Dark throne, Immortal, Satyricon, Marduk, Masters Hammer, Bathory etc. For Michal it is similar.

3. What are the differences between this Call of Blood and above your Dethroned?, And I guess eight years go far.

You’re right. Eight years is very long time, but I think the biggest difference between these albums is in the vocal . Now seriously. Ii is not possible to make the same music fifteen years in a row. The differences are apparent between all of our albums. The biggest difference is possible to find between Tartarus and Damnation. After Damnation it is the Agmen style .

4. Tell us about the lyrics of your songs. What inspires you when writing them?

The lyrics on Call of Blood wrote my friend Michal Vavřík. He made all lyrics for Tartarus, and some also for Damnation, Eternal and Dethroned. The songs are full of darkness and full of death. But not stupid, quite symbolic.

5. Which bands have influenced your sound?

We make the sound ourselves, or Michal makes it. We don´t try to draw near any specific bands, but I think at some parts it is possible to hear there Dissection. But it was not the intention.

6. Five essential albums in black history

It is very subjective, for me the essentials are:
Bathory: Blood fire death
Mayhem: De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Satyricon: Nemesis divina
Immortal: Pure Holocaust
Dissection: Storm of the light’s bane

7. From your early musical group's proposal was very close to thrash sound, something that to this day is still there, how did the idea to form the group?

Me and Michal love the thrash metal music. Slayer, Sodom, Destruction, Kreator and many others thrash metal bands. At this time we are working on our new thrash metal project – Tyranizer, eventually it can be an official band.
With Michal we met in Maniac butcher, where I played the guitar and composed some songs for “Lučan antikrist” album. I letf Maniac butcher after this album. A few months after that Michal contacted me and we have found Agmen.﻿

8. During those fifteen years, have had many changes in training, which is quite logical, to date, the band has finally found a stable?

At this time is the band stable. Now the band is Michal and me, it is the same from the beginning. The problems with members forced us to stop concert activities. I don´t say this is for ever, but currently it is true.

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9. How difficult is the coexistence within the group? Who is the leader of the now compose, or all aportáis ideas and you respect?

According to what I said earlier the coexistence in the group is easy. With Michal we have similar view on the music and other things also.

10. Tell us a little type of equipment that you use in the recording sessions and live performances.

I have Jackson guitar with EMG pickups, Mesa boogie triple rectifier, Mesa boogie box and Mesa boogie V-twin pedal. I use the DR strings and George Dennis picks.
Michal plays the Mapex drums with double kick drum. He has special edition of this drums and special edition of snare drum.
For recording we use Shure microphones, for overheads with phantom power.

11. In relation to the concerts, how is being received by the public in this new job?

We had only one gig with this stuff, but from fans and zines as well we have good reviews.

12. Thank you very much for your time, if you want to add something for people who like Agmen, this place, thanks. I hope the questions are for you.

Thank you for the interwiew. I would like to thank to all fans of Agmen for their support for fifteen years. Metal forever!!!